1. Not really surprised, though.

That's a pretty common pattern: Republican, conservative across the board... EXCEPT on an issue or two that affect them personally. Then they're a liberal. Whether that be women's issues, reproductive rights, health care, etc. No problem at all jettisoning that core Republican philosophy for that.

2. Once upon a time

Republican did not equal willful ignorance

And for most that's still the case, the problem is they are busy living their lives while the moral crusaders only have their crusades for lives and similarly the tea party high profile people...being ignorant as loud as they can is their life.

3. It's interesting...

.... I know all kinds of Repugs... who will only vote Repug.... because.... that's just what they do. They even hate their GOP Reps and Senators, but vote for them anyway because... that's what they do...

It's like a religion or something.

I don't know any Dems who have always voted Dem just because the candidate is Dem. There must be some.... but apparently not so many.

I personally never voted a straight Dem (or anything) ticket until 2004 when it was dangerously clear the GOP had lost its mind.

4. "It's like a religion or something."

Not like. IS. There is empirical evidence that absolutely DESTROYS the efficacy of their economic, sociological and foreign-policy positions across the board. But no matter. It just "feels right" to cut welfare from those freeloaders, force women to have those cute babies, give more money to the "job creators" and bomb the living shit out of those brown people to show 'em the what-for.

6. The only thing atheists have in common

is that we don't believe in gods or any of the claptrap surrounding them.

So it's not a bit surprising that you'd be working with a strong atheist who's a Republican.

My own Republican dad always hated the fundies and one of the funniest conversations I ever had with him was over what should happen to Jerry Falwell. I was always disappointed that Falwell got a nice, clean heart attack. It was way too good for him.

Given a choice between a raving fundy and voting Democratic, I think my dad likely voted for the Democrat and lied about it later. I love that your coworker isn't bothering to lie.

10. The ones I know HATE that.

Sorry, I don't have a clue how they reconcile it.

One atheist GOP co-worker sounds a lot like some of the posters in the Religion group - he doesn't think stuff like the Pledge of Allegiance or giant crosses are a problem. He and I argue about that sometimes, along with another interesting atheist co-worker - a Hispanic guy who was raised in a strict Fundamentalist church.

The fellow I mentioned upthread is certainly an "out" atheist. The other day he told me that some strange woman came up to him in a parking lot and started ranting about the "FICTION" bumper sticker on his car - i.e., the "COEXIST" sticker with the religious symbols arranged to spell "fiction."

11. That guy sounds more like an "anti-religionist" than an ...

atheist. He sounds more like a libertarian who has, for whatever reason, become totally enraged by religions.

I doubt he's that deep a thinker, more a "me first" kind of guy, which enables him to vote Republican. Republicanism appeals to those who feel themselves very tread-upon by authority, be that religious, governmental, or any other form of authority holding power over their lives.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I know a number of libertarians, (some in my own family) who absolutely abhor religion, but also detest taxes, licensing, safety inspections for their cars, etc. They hate to have to go to a church to a funeral, and would never give a dollar to a religious organization, but they give few dollars away to anyone anyway, and love to find tax havens for their dollars.

They are just another kind of Republican, really, one that complains about pot-holes as well as church bells on Sunday mornings.

Not pleasant people to be around, hope your guy isn't as irascible as my relatives.

17. The Republican mindset...

'The point of America is to amass wealth. People of wealth can dictate their own insular social conditions, making being gay or in a minority group effectively irrelevant to their own situation. Problem solved.'

ON EDIT: This appears to be the only way to reconcile the cognitive dissonance between their own material interests and the fact that their party has in many ways said 'we hate you'.

15. Atheist right-wingers are not uncommon in the UK

Neither are Christian left-wingers, for that matter.

There is considerably less association between the right/left distinction and religion in the UK than the USA- though there is a small but increasing American-style Christian Right even here, especially IMO since the Internet facilitated communication between countries.

In any case, I could well imagine even a conservative rejecting Akin on the grounds that he's just a sheer bloody nutcase. Let's hope enough do!

And two of our biggest enthusiasts for the Christian Right are Melanie Phillips (who is Jewish) and Sayeeda Warsi (who is Muslim).

Having said all that, there are certainly real Christian-Righties around and they are increasingly in cahoots with the American version. I think I complained before about the Alliance Defence League helping to fund Christian Right conferences in my town.

19. Yikes, that really is crazy talk.

I have yet to hear that being a Christian nation will make life better for everyone, no matter what religion/no religion.

David Cameron said he believed Britain to be a Christian country, and warned against a secularist culture. He defined Christian values as ‘responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility, self-sacrifice, love, pride in working for the common good, and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities’.

These qualities could as easily have defined the values of Jews and Muslims. No doubt, this was deliberate, enabling Mr Cameron to say that the more Christian Britain is, the more other faiths can feel welcome in this country — not just because of tolerance, but because different groups have those values in common.

But you have not surprised me that the American and British Christian fundamentalists are working together...that old missionary mentality is alive and well.

Part of why a lot more atheists & agnostics are liberals here in the US is because of republicans so strongly associating themselves with religion.

Church attendance often drops nationwide when a political party or nationally known politician starts to politicize religion (not just saying "I'm a good Christian", but trying to justify all their policy positions on stuff like social issues with religion, similar to how Bush did it in 2004 to court the religious right).

That was a big part of what got me to question my religion, disgust at the religious right and republican politicians like Bush trying to get the votes of ultra religious voters by using the bible to justify their own hatred & bigotry towards Gays.

22. I, for one, could never align myself with the GOP

especially with all the right wing evangelicals running the platform. To be fair, I have been a liberal Democrat for my entire life, but if I were ever on the fence, this would turn me off.

Christian nation. All the liberal views are Sins to them. Creationism in schools. Zionists intent on starting wars in the Middle East to rush the timetable for their Second Coming dreams. Everyone against them is going to Hell. Jeez.

24. None of the Republicans I know go to church

Then again I only know 3 Republicans. My boss is a Republican but thankfully politics is verboten at my work, though I'm guessing he is more of a classic New England Republican. I'm a political junkie but I'm much happier not having politics discussed at work. Years ago when I was a carpenter I had a boss who on the job site listened to Dr Laura in the morning and Rush in the afternoon. I considered hitting my hand with my hammer just so I could feel something besides anger.

27. the GOP is going extict

let's face it, the highly religious, the ones we here have the biggest problem with, is the base of the Republican Party. given this, news of its imminent demise should thrill most Atheists. and make no mistake, barring a gargantuan shift in policies and rhetoric, they are absolutely on the path towards extinction.

it's common knowledge that the GOP is an old, white party. while not an absolute, that is an accurate enough description of the Republican Party today. two trends to keep in mind here. one, old people tend to die at a faster rate than young people. two, white people are shrinking as a percentage of the electorate. they are running out of supporters, and it's happening quicker than many thought.

take yesterday's election. President Obama won over 90% of the black vote and 70% of the latino and asian vote. Romney did well with seniors and whites overall. meanwhile, the country is getting browner. the GOP may end up becoming a whites only club, a nativist and pale collection of isolationists who choose to ignore the changing demographics of the country. worse, they may choose to keep it this way. if they choose this path, their extinction is all but guaranteed. their option would be to abandon their social issues, immigration policies, and economic austery programs and to open up their tent through real policy change.

anyone wanna bet which way they go?

for Atheists, either way is a win. if the GOP becomes irrelevant then the power of the religious right goes with it. if they truly make changes to make more people inclusive and begin to part with their religious base Atheists will celebrate. yesterday's election is better for Atheists than most people would think.